Enchanted Stones
by Lady Eli
Summary: Van Helsing is finding out more about his past. When he leaves Transylvania, he follows his instincts to a mysterious forest. While there he finds more than he wanted to. Please Review! Chapter 3 up!
1. Dreams Forgotten

Disclaimer: I don't own anything realting to Van Helsing, nor am I associaded with anyone that does.

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The night was bright, a full moon shed light over the forest. Everything was emerald green, and full of an enchanted life. He stepped quietly over the mossy ground and into the clearing by the pool. The ancient stone sculptures, consisting of a lion, three saints, four maidens, an angel, and a great dragon, looked down from their places that surrounded the clearing. The trees filtered the light, allowing only a bluish glow to enter this sacred place. Stone columns rose from near the pool, vines creeping up them. Leaning against one, tossing flower petals into the pool, was a young woman._

_She had come...her cream gown glistened as she turned to him. It was fitted and fell softly about her curves, enhancing her features. Silver accented the dress, which reflected the light that fell upon her. Her curly brown hair was caught up and the silver tiara upon her head only added to her flawless form. _

_He ran to her and caught her in his arms, lifting her slightly in and embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his forehead softly. Her eyes were dark also, and they stared right into his, happiness glittering from within. He leaned down and their lips met, passion wrapping itself around them. Much too soon, she pulled away, at the distant sound of a bell tolling. It was midnight, and with each toll, she grew farther away from him. Louder and louder the tolling came, and the scenery faded from around him..._

Van Helsing awoke suddenly, and surveyed his surroundings. Carl was banging pots and pans by the fire, attempting to cook breakfast for the two of them. The forest around them was dreary, but it was nothing compared to the trials he'd been put through recently. _That dream..._Van Helsing thought, remembering the soft kisses..._Anna. _It was the first dream he'd had since Transylvania, since he'd lost Anna. He could still see her, in that white gown, with the sparkling tiara on her head. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes and lifted himself from the ground.

"Good morning Carl. What's it going to be this morning?" He asked Carl, who was muttering something about the pans.

Without looking up, Carl replied "Good day to you too. As soon as I can find the right...AH-HA!" he paused, holding up a circular frying pan, "we'll be having the same as any other morning, salt pork with some of that tasty bread from Transylvania." He finished, pulling some of the salt pork out of his pack and plopping it in the pan.

Ten minutes and a few curses later, breakfast was served. The meat was only slightly burned, and the bread was just a tad bit stale. Carl sat by the fire, sucking on his burned hand, while Van Helsing worked to pack the bags and get the horses ready.

"Come on Carl, it wasn't even that bad." Van Helsing said, knowing that Carl tended to over-react to things like this. He pulled Carl up and shoved a small bucket into his hands. "You should put that fire out; it would be dangerous to keep it going." He grinned as Carl walked over to the stream they were camped by and filled the bucket. He trudged over to the fire and splashed the water clumsily over the burning wood, cursing under his breath.

Only a short time after that, Van Helsing and Carl had everything packed up and were ready to go. They set off at a steady trot, and moved farther into the forest. For a long while they rode in silence, watching the surroundings for any sign of civilization. Finally Carl broke the silence "So where are we going then?" he questioned, not really knowing why they had left the comfortable inn at Transylvania. "I wasn't aware of any more instruction, I thought we were done for a while!" he continued in his usual whine.

"Have you ever had a feeling in your gut that tells you to go somewhere?" Van Helsing asked, without looking at Carl.

"I think I'm getting one now...it's telling me we shouldn't have left in the first place!" Carl returned, remembering the feathery soft mattresses and fluffy pillows of the inn.

"Shut up Carl" Van Helsing replied, and kicked his horse into a canter. _Where are we going..._Van Helsing thought..._Why are we here..._He didn't know the answer and didn't want Carl to know he was unsure. Carl, in the meantime, had brought his horse up to speed, and was mumbling and cursing under his breath.

Before noon they spotted a castle surrounded by a village in the distance. It was perched on a hill so that it stuck up past the tallest trees of the forest. Everything was green...with an emerald hue. _Anna in a cream dress...looking every bit the princess she was..._Van Helsing remembered the dream. Slowing to a walk, he took in all of the sights and sounds, almost nervous by the familiarity of it. As soon as the feeling came, it left, and he once again felt his normal self.

"At least you've chosen a beautiful place to come to" Carl said, sighing with the beauty of the place. "Please tell me we're going to stay here, Van Helsing" he said this as more of a question than a statement, and looked at Van Helsing for an answer.

"You'll see, Carl." Van Helsing replied, knowing in his mind that this is where he was meant to be led. Nothing more was said between the two and they focused more on the scenery. Up ahead a clearing could be seen, though nothing else about it was clear enough to see. As they got closer, Van Helsing felt his heart skip a beat. The clearing had ten stone statues placed around the edges of it, with a pool of water to one side of the path. Everything was exactly as it was in the dream...including Anna.

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Okay, I hope you like the first chapter, I'll make sure and update soon! Please make any comments as I need any constructive thoughts, good or bad. Please, though, if you're going to say it's bad, tell me why. I hope you enjoy! 

Lady Eli


	2. A Turn in the Road?

Van Helsing froze at the scene in front of him. Carl looked puzzled, but was too intrigued by the clearing to question the look in Van Helsing's eyes. Van Helsing turned his horse and dismounted a few strides later. Pulling the saddlebags from the horse, he turned to Carl, looking him in the eyes, as if studying his mind.

"Well, I can't set up camp by myself!" He finally said to his confused companion.

"But Van Helsing...that clearing up ahead...the statue...can't we keep going?" Carl asked, trying to figure out Van Helsing's mind.

"Carl, remember our little talk about gut feelings?" Van Helsing started, pausing to let Carl give a nod of his head. "Well, this is one of them." He finished, pulling the saddle from his horse, exposing its sweat covered back.

Carl knew his fight was over, and complied with Van Helsing's commands. He too slid from his horse and walked it over to where Van Helsing was standing. There they made camp and ate a quick lunch of Transylvanian bread and some sweet fruits growing nearby.

After lunch, Van Helsing propped himself against a tree and closed his eyes. It took him no time at all to fall into a deep sleep. _He was back in the clearing, screams coming from all directions...where was she...why wasn't she here? He waited, his body wouldn't move from the spot where he stood. Suddenly he herd her voice, echoing through his mind "Never forget me! You must help me, please! Please, come back! Help me!" It trailed on, until it was lost in the screams around him. Blood seeped around him and ran into the pool, turning it a bright red. He wanted to run, but he was still anchored to that spot. Before him were the statues, all of them seemed to carry an expression of sadness. The blood kept coming...the screams got louder...everything, closing in around him...all of it..._Van Helsing's eyes shot open. Carl was shaking him, and a cold sweat had formed on his brow. He shuddered at the nightmare that had plagued him, and thought again about the clearing ahead.

"Would you like to tell me what that was about?" Carl asked Van Helsing, his face looking sincere, but his eyes looking more puzzled than ever.

"It was," Van Helsing paused, to regain his breath, "just a bad dream. That's all." He finished, looking into his friend's face and giving him a small grin. _The dream..._he thought, the voice still hanging like a fog in his mind..._she was asking for help...I thought her family had been put to rest...they were safe, what has happened to change the balance. Surely I would've gotten orders if something had gone wrong...But we made sure...Dracula was dead...how could I forget?..._His mind raced through all that had happened in the last month. He was puzzled, but moved on, deciding to send word to the order's headquarters as soon as he could.

"Carl, I think we should be moving on...we can make that town by nightfall if we hurry." Van Helsing said, standing and brushing the dirt from his clothing. Carl complied and soon they were off once more, at a slow walk. The clearing...it was up ahead and seemed to call to them...wanting them to come closer. As if in a trance, Van Helsing went straight for it, although his mind was filled with the sights of his nightmare.

"Halt!" A strong, but feminine voice called out from within the clearing as they reached the outer fringes of it. "Who wishes to enter this realm?" The unknown woman asked. Van Helsing looked around, and saw the woman who was speaking. She was almost hidden between two large trees that grew next to the pool. She was wearing a maroon and gold traveling dress. In her hands was a beautiful longbow with gold inlaid into the wood. She was tall and slender, perhaps in her twenties, and had long brown hair braided and wrapped in a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Don't shoot me, please! I just want a bed...and some food...and a nice warm fire would be nice..." Carl trailed off, scared at first, but then the feeling disappeared when he started thinking about all the luxuries of a town.

"I'm Van Helsing, and this is my friend Carl. We've come from far away, and are in need of a place to sleep. I know this place...why is it guarded?" He asked, his voice slow, as the strange familiarity of the place came back to him. It wasn't until now that Van Helsing realized that the woman he thought was Anna, was only a statue. His spirits seemed to fall some, but he was perplexed by the lifelike look of her.

The woman moved forward, and moved closer to the two riders. They dismounted and walked across the clearing, stopping by the statue in the middle. She laid down her bow and a quiver of arrows that she had over her back. Then, looking up at the statue, she began to speak.

"I am Lady Elena, guard of our Princess Ginny. I am the youngest daughter of the royal family." She looked into Van Helsing's eyes, then Carl's.

"I know this woman...its Anna." Van Helsing breathed in shock, still not believing the situation he had been brought into.

"No, I don't know of an Anna, but this is Princess Ginny, and she has been like this for one hundred years." Elena replied, her brow furrowing.

"Well...this is all very interesting, but we better be getting to town, shouldn't we?" Carl pleaded, feeling uneasy already at the sight of the beautiful stone girl.

"No, Carl" Van Helsing replied, then to Elena he asked "You say she's been like this for one hundred years...and before that, what was she?" He was puzzled, she was exactly as the girl in his dreams. Although the dress she was wearing had no color to it, he knew that it was the same cream-colored one as in his dream.

"You've never herd the story of the Enchanted Stone, then?" Elena asked, her eyes blazing with an unknown fire.

Both Van Helsing and Carl shook their heads, and waited to hear the tale. It was as if the clearing itself had drew in a breath, and lay in wait for the story to begin.

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Hey! Guess what? I still don't own any rights to Van Helsing or anything relating to it! 

Thanks to the wonderful person that gave me the review, and please everyone let me know what you think...you guys want others to review your stories, and you know how wonderful reviews are, so why don't you review?

Thanks for reading!

Lady Eli


	3. Remembering the past

"Well, it was a little over three hundred years ago that this very clearing was a part of a secret glen that belonged to the royal family. It was then that the princess was born, the first child of the king and queen. When she turned five, it was clear that the child would be pure and beautiful. When she reached ten all the kings with sons were after her betrothal, and when she turned 15 she was known as the most beautiful girl in the world. On her birthday Sahara, the Queen of the Enchanted, came to the palace and put a curse on the princess. If ever the princes spent her innocence, the land would be in ruin. As long as the princess was pure, the lands would prosper, but she would pay with her life if she left her purity.

"Everyone knew that this wouldn't be a problem, because the princess lived in such a gracious way. One day, though, when she was 17 years old, a newcomer came to the city. They fell in love immediately and met in this glen every night. Their love was secret, but the land began to fall. Grey clouds filled the skies and fires broke out. Still, their love couldn't be broken, and they continued to meet. Armies invaded, and blood ran through the streets. Some say that it flowed right to this very pool. That night, when they met, Sahara was there. She told the princess that she must forfeit her life, or kill her lover. The princess gave up her life, and so Sahara turned her to a swan, always living here in this circle of statues. Only on nights of full moons could she be a princess again. As for her lover, Sahara banished him...erasing his memory of the place and the princess.

"All was normal, and it was as if the princess had never existed. Then, about two hundred years later, Sahara herd news of the man. He was part of an order, and they were helping him figure out who he really was. She knew that the princess could be found through him, so she immediately went to this place and turned her to stone, and since then she has been like this. Sahara has taken the throne, and she rules strictly over these cursed lands. Only the princess and her lover can set things right again." Elena sighed as she finished the story, her eyes glassy from the sad tale.

Van Helsing was frozen. He felt as if a wave of memories had come back, and the dreams he had experienced mixed and mingled with them. It was all he could do to look once again at the statue, his eyes locking into the frozen gaze of hers.

"Well, that's a wonderful story, but I believe that we can't be of any help to you..." Carl started, trailing off as he looked sideways at his companion. "Do you happen to have any food?" He asked, his stomach twisting with hunger all of a sudden.

"You may stay with me tonight. I have a cottage right down that path." She answered, also noticing Van Helsing's strange look. She motioned for them to follow her, and walked off, Carl following a short distance behind her dragging Van Helsing with him. "Please don't tell me what I think you're going to tell me!" Carl whispered, looking up at the dumbstruck Van Helsing beside him. Without a word Van Helsing just walked faster, trying to catch up with Elena.

When they arrived, they were happy to see a large two story cottage with smoke spilling from a chimney at one end of it. They entered, and Elena gave them both a large bowel of stew. The room was cozy, almost like a village inn, but with a touch of class. Although it was a cottage, you could tell that it was a princess that inhabited it. The walls had golden tapestries hung on them, and the chairs of the table were made of a solid wood. She watched intently as they ate, trying to figure out who they really were. As the stew was finished, Van Helsing stood and nodded to the princess.

"Thank you, I'm sure that you will want to talk, but my friend and I must rest. Might we have a room?" He pulled Carl away from his empty dish, which he had used a piece of bread to soak up any stew that had been left.

"Of course, but I will count on some answers tomorrow. Right up the stairs and to the right is a lovely room. Sleep well." She replied, disappointed that she wouldn't know anything until the morning. She watched them go, and then went to her own room to rest.

Up in their room, Van Helsing took off his worn hat and coat, and threw them over a chair that was placed near a blazing fireplace. Carl walked in behind him and shut the door. He sat down on one of the two beds in the large room. He sighed as he watched Van Helsing, waiting for the words he knew he was going to hear.

"Carl, this is the place I've been led." Van Helsing said in a firm tone. He looked into the fire, like he was searching for something. "You know that statue was familiar, just as I do, but you don't know the dreams I've had about this place. I know it, Carl." He continued slowly, emphasizing the last sentence.

"No, no, no, no...Van Helsing, please! The girl reminds you of Anna, that's all...you're still in love with her...not this princess!" Carl replied, still not wanting to indulge himself in more danger. He looked up at Van Helsing, his eyes pleading for them to leave.

"No, I never was in love with Anna...now that I look back. I was in love with Ginny, and now I have to help her." Van Helsing replied, accepting the story as part of his past. All of it seemed clear; he had regained some of his memory of the early times, but none from the years that Ginny was alive. He was her lover; he was going to free her.

Apart from Carl's constant groaning, the rest of the night was silent. After washing off, Van Helsing went to bed, finding that Carl was already deep in sleep. The bed was a twin size, and was covered with a fluffy goose down mattress. Lying down, Van Helsing fell asleep just as fast as Carl had, the soft bedding lulling him deeper and deeper into the realm of dreams.

_"Gabriel" He turned, looking through the trees, trying to follow the soft female voice that called him. "Gabriel!" The voice was louder, seeming to come from all around him. He cried out "Where are you? What am I supposed to do!" and fell to his knees. _

_A small hand rested itself on his shoulder and she kneeled down beside him. Turning his face up from the ground, she kissed him softly. "Have you forgotten so quickly?" she asked in a sad tone, pulling herself into his arms. He held her tight, not wanting her to leave. _

_"Please, just tell me how to get you back!" He pleaded, adding "I'll do anything!" after returning her kiss. She looked back, like someone was watching her and became frightened. _

_"We can only speak in our dreams, Gabriel, but even they aren't safe!" She answered, a tear rolling down her pale cheek. "Come to the clearing...look into the pool, see if you can remember then." With that she faded away, her voice still ringing in his ears "Gabriel, Gabriel...Gabriel..."_

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_Hello again!

Thank you so much anett for your reviews...although I'm getting hits, I feel like you're the only one out there! Please review, save my insanity! I need some input...how do you think the story should go, what's going to happen, ect!

Also, I still don't own Van Helsing rights.

Thanks and happy reading!

Lady Eli


	4. Another Princess

I know it's short, but I haven't updated in a long time. It's summer now, I will try to write a lot more! Please R&R!  
Lady Eli

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"Van Helsing!" Carl cried out, instantly pulling all thoughts of the princess away from Van Helsing's mind. Upon opening his eyes, he could see nothing wrong, but he knew Carl's knack for getting into trouble so he wasted no time in dressing and throwing open the small door to his room. Once again Carl called out to him, and as he descended the stairs, he let his hand move down to his sword.

"What's going on" Van Helsing commanded as he walked calmly from the staircase into the cottage's main room. Carl was sitting at the table they had eaten at the night before, some sort of food placed before him. Princess Elena, who was standing in front of him, had a dagger pointed at his throat.

"You…" She cried as she saw Van Helsing. She gave a threatening look to Carl before turning to face Van Helsing. "…Leave this place! Go! You are either liars or demons, and either are bad luck in these lands!" She continued, her voice shaking.

"Van Helsing! I don't want to die! You remember how we talked about feelings? Mine are telling me we need to leave!" Carl threw in quickly before a look from Elena made him hut his mouth.

"Princess…put down the dagger and let me explain!" Van Helsing said in a gentle but strong voice. He instantly knew that they would have to trust this girl, or else they had already fallen in too deep of a trap. It was obvious to tell that Carl had told her their story.

"I've done nothing to merit this torture! Leave! I've done all that's been commanded of me! You are truly evil!" Elena screamed as Van Helsing took a step towards her. She pushed the dagger closer to Carl, who instantly started reciting every prayer of mercy he had ever learned.

"Princess, our story is odd, but entirely true. I am Gabriel Van Helsing. I am part of a war against all that is evil, and I have just recently rid the world of a werewolf and four vampires. I assure you, we are not of the devil…quite the opposite." He said in a slow voice, hoping that Elena would feel the truth through his tone. He watched as her grip on the dagger relaxed. She let the dagger fall on the floor and slid down as if the energy had been drained from her body. She looked at Van Helsing, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Forgive me, Gabriel! Forgive me for not knowing it was you!" She said as she stayed knelt down. Van Helsing didn't know what she was talking about, but was relieved that she finally accepted their story.

"Wait a moment…you're telling me you know him?" Carl asked in a confused, but also relieved voice. He was still sitting at the table, but had a hand around his neck as if he was trying to assure himself that it was still there.

"Yes…I am Princess Elena, you know that, but there haven't been any more members of the royal family since Ginney, my dearest sister, was imprisoned. I have been doomed to stay here, banished from the castle but bound to my sister's resting place. I am to kill anyone who wishes to free her, but long ago I learned that the Sorceress couldn't watch my every move. I have been waiting for you, and so has my sister…as well as everyone else in the land." Elena said as she dried her face. Joy shone in her eyes, and for once Van Helsing felt a ray of hope in his heart…something he hadn't felt since he had left Transylvania.


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